Like Mother, Like Daughter
by khudgens91
Summary: Ashley is more like Helen than either of them want to admit. James takes advantage of those similarities.


**This is for the bingo prompt suspension. I wanted to do something different than the typical ropes and chains and whatnot. Don't know that it turned out all the well though. **

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"James, have you seen Ashley?" Helen asked, annoyed, as she came into his office.

Helen and the kids had come to spend a few weeks with him in London, like they did every summer.

"Not since the pick up," James said calmly.

"She was supposed to be doing the afternoon feedings, but I was just down there and Henry is doing them."

James chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Helen asked, hands on her hips.

"I was just wondering what Ashley had bribed Henry with this time to get him to take over her duties."

"Henry doesn't need to be doing her work for her at all," she huffed, frustrated. "I told her if she pawned her work off on Henry again I would suspend her from the mission list."

"That's a bit harsh, don't you think, Helen?"

"No I don't," she snapped.

"Whatever you think is best," James back pedaled.

"She's never going to learn any responsibility if other people keep doing her work for her."

"I seem to recall a certain blonde haired, blue eyed young woman who used to bat her lashes and have four men at her beck and call."

"That's different," Helen defended.

"Indeed."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Helen's lips, threatening to break through her anger. Finally she gave him a big smile, dimples and all. James loved that smile. It was true that all of them were hopelessly enamored with Helen back at Oxford, but James found that not much had changed over the last century. He would still do just about anything for Helen.

One significant difference though was the additional blonde haired beauty that had stollen his heart. James dotted shamelessly on Ashley every chance he got. He may have turned a blind eye earlier when he caught her sneaking a boy into the Sanctuary.

"I may have an idea of where she would be," James said slowly, deciding if he really wanted to give up the information.

It was a close call as to who's wrath he would rather incur, Helen for keeping something from him regarding her daughter or Ashley for giving her up to her mother. He decided Ashley would bounce back faster and not hold it against him for long. Besides, if he was lucky, the chain of events could lead to him getting more than just gratitude from Helen.

"You might or you do?" Helen asked, knowing James all too well.

"Come on," James said, standing and reaching for her hand.

She took it quickly, twining their fingers together as he led her out of the room. He had a pretty good idea of where Ashley would be. Sometimes she was so predictably like her mother it was comical.

"You two are more alike than you know," James commented, voicing some of his thoughts.

"Why do you say that?" Helen chuckled.

"Because its true!"

"I see more and more of John in her everyday, James," Helen said sadly.

"She may have some of his attributes, he is her father after all," James conceded. "But she has too much of you in her to truly follow down his path. You've raised her well, Helen."

James squeezed her hand in reassurance. It was true that Ashley had John's proficiency for violence, but Helen had trained and directed that violence in the appropriate direction.

"Just where exactly are we going, James?" Helen asked in exasperation, some of the levity returning to the situation.

"Almost there," James assured, pulling her around a corner.

They hadn't taken more than a few steps down the new corridor when a muffled moan broke the silence. Helen's brows knitted together in confusion, but James only smirked.

"What on earth was that?"

"I do believe that was your daughter."

"Ashley? Why would she be-," Helen cut herself off as she took in their surroundings and understanding dawned on her face.

James watched the emotions play across Helen's face; shock, horror, amusement, anger. He decided it was worth Ashley not speaking to him for the next few days, just to see Helen's reaction.

"Just like her mother," James commented, barely containing his laughter as another moan filtered through the empty hallway.

"Not a word," Helen hissed, slapping his shoulder.

James chuckled, but quickly pulled himself together when Helen shot him a murderous glare. Once she was sure he had it together, Helen took a deep breath and swung open the door to the supply closet they stood in front of.

"Oh my god, mom!" Ashley shrieked, scrambling to find her top.

The boy from earlier was similarly shirtless and equally as frantic to find his clothing. The pair of them were flushed bright red, not meeting the eyes of the two adults that had just busted them making out.

"Ashley," Helen said in a voice of false calmness. James knew that tone, nothing good ever came of it. "Please escort your guest out and then go to your room. I will deal with you later."

"Yes, mother," the girl mumbled.

Helen stepped aside to allow the two teenagers to exit, glaring daggers at the poor young man Ashley had enticed. James had little doubt it had all been Ashley's idea. Again, so much like her mother.

"And you can count on being suspended from the mission list for at least a month!" Helen called after her as they retreated down the hallway.

James doubted Helen would keep Ashley grounded that long, truthfully. She relied on her way too much. For all her faults, Ashley was an incredible field agent.

"I can't believe her," Helen huffed, still angry.

"Yes, it's terribly shocking," James drawled sarcastically.

Helen glared at him.

"Tell me, Helen," he continued unfazed. "How many times do you suppose I've caught you in similar situations...in this very closet, no less."

Helen at least had the grace to blush, which only made James more smug. He had her and they both knew it. He had found her and John in here more times than he cared to remember, in varying degrees of clothing. He'd busted her with Nikola quite a few times over the years as well. Plenty of strangers too, even a few women.

"Probably about as many times as you were in there with me," Helen replied coyly, smiling at him mischievously.

"We do have our share of memories in here, don't we?" James replied, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling Helen against his chest.

"Care to make a few more?" Helen breathed in his ear.

"Probably best to let Ashley have a little time to think about what she's done," James said, leading her into the small closet and shutting the door behind them.


End file.
